COMPLETE [PP-F4] The Cold Hard Truth <<Avalanche>> Opal/Teselmar/Ishida

[Teselmar 0]

 

Snowfrost Town. What a wellspring of creativity that Kayaba guy was. The place was a regular winter wonderland, provided that you enjoy the odd sensation of your brain telling you it's cold, even though your body isn't responding to it the way that you normally would. As Teselmar walked up the main street of Snowfrost, he mused on the nature of the phantom sensations that afflicted him. It wasn't like he needed a jacket or anything; he wasn't shivering, or reacting to the cold in any way that a normal person out in the real world would react. No, it was more like a little switch inside his brain that made him aware that it was cold outside, almost unimportant background data. The thought of having his brain messed around with annoyed him, and he resolved to stop thinking about it. Done and done, there was plenty else to think about.

As he passed by the NPC shops and watched players gearing up for hunting parties, he adjusted the blade at his hip and sighed. It hadn't been too long ago that he'd been trapped in this game, but he hadn't made the kinds of strides that other players had. Sure, he'd managed to avoid becoming monster chow so far, but it was more luck than skill that had kept him alive. In the real world, he had been a private security agent, more of a mercenary than anything else. Put simply, he'd been a pretty bade dude to mess with. But in here, this digital cage, he could get killed pretty easily by some acne-riddled neckbeard, just based on numbers. He was of two minds about it: half of him enjoyed the challenge and liked the danger, and other half was just plain ticked off by the power disparity. Something he'd have to learn to live with.

Seeing a restaurant where he could re-supply, and kill some time, Teselmar ducked inside. It was a moderately crowded place, with couples enjoying what passed for hot cocoa, and super serious looking parties of players in sets of armor with -way- too many spikes discussing taking on some local ice monster. He shook the vestige of snow from his goldenrod hair, and approached the counter. If he was lucky, the NPC vendor might have a pack of smokes. They'd apparently been coded into the game, but good luck finding one. All of the calm, none of the cancer. Guess there's a silver lining to every cloud.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Teselmar
Thread Complete

[Opal 0]

"So!! I took my sword and rammed it into it's flesh and then ripped it out in one quick motion! The beast burst into pixels and I scored a pretty bad ass gnarly looking uncommon weapon from it. Not too bad if I say so myself!" 

Opal had heard these stories a dozen times now how the low leveled players were scoring loot off small fry mobs around SnowFrost. Had she not been peppered with the equipment she had now, perhaps she would find herself lucky enough to find such treasures from a mob drop. But she was part of the Assault Team now, rarely did she venture to the lower floors, but this one was still one of her favorites by far. The cold, crisp air falling around her gave her a sense of living in the real world, or a mild sense of it at least. 

Garbed in her Knights of the Blood armor, the woman shifted her legs in the seat in a corner booth and drank in the warmth of the place as she slowly moved a bottle of alcohol from the table to her mouth. Slender fingers choked around an orange looking stick as it gave off a smoky citrus aroma as she inhaled deeply and expelled in a fluid stream. Her eyes rolled back as she slumped in her seat. It was nice to relax every once in awhile, but she knew it would be only a matter of time before she was called back to the rank of the front lines to help with the upcoming boss fight. They recently had a meeting, but as far as going to take on the Floor Boss, there was no word or whisper of that going on. It had been so for awhile now. Opal took another long hard drag of her cigarette before expelling the smoke from her red lips. Her honey eyes gazed over towards the door opening as she looked to see who was coming or going. 

Not that it mattered to her, rarely did she find any of her friends casually strolling in to meet up with her, or by chance. The woman continued to believe she was a strong, individual woman, a breed of her own. She had seen the other females of the game and she was none to impressed with their abilities except for a few. The game was still dominated by male players. The woman lifted the bottle to her lips again and drank from the cool contents before downing the rest of the liquid. She brought a hand up to smooth out the raven tendrils of hair from her face as she saw an unfamiliar face...then again, most players down in the low levels were unfamiliar to her. She studied him for a moment before her gaze was averted away, "Nothing special there." 

[Teselmar 0]

The regulars in this establishment seemed to be caught up in their own little world, telling stories about who killed the biggest nasty this week, or who got the rarest piece of shiny from a mob drop. Teselmar didn't really go in for idle chatter; as a solo player thus far, he never had anyone to brag to, nor did he have anything truly worth bragging about. Well, unless you count banging your head against a giant boulder until an Extra Skill pops out. That happened.

His gaze swept the gathered patrons as he approached the countertop. In the real world, he'd gotten into the handy habit of memorizing the exits in every building he entered, as well as taking stock of any unusual faces in a crowd. Lots of boys in all shapes and sizes, though very few men, the odd girl being hit on by her party members or scoring free drinks, a couple of beast tamers, that's new... and one woman who stood out like blood on snow.

Sword Art Online had a lot of features that Teselmar didn't care for. The Sword Arts were often difficult to control, the hit detection could be spotty, physical ability meant absolutely nothing, and oh yeah, if you lose you're dead. But the one feature that he did approve of is that every player looks exactly the same in the game as they do in real life. That means that there's no hiding behind some anonymous persona. That said, if someone had gotten into the SAO character creator and tried to create the most attractive woman possible, the result would probably resemble the woman sitting in the corner booth. She radiated sensuality in a way that was almost tangible, as other players either avoided her gaze, or couldn't help but stare. Teselmar's curiosity was piqued. As he flagged down the NPC to order a drink, he noticed that some female players made a conscious choice to go the long way around to leave the restaurant, rather than pass by her. The white and red armor she wore was the mark of some sort of Guild, he had seen other players wearing similar garb. If they'd all looked like her, then he might have asked them where he could sign up.

What passed for alcohol in Aincrad wasn't exactly blue label stuff, but it was a pleasant facsimile at best. Swiping his hand across the screen, he paid for one, and opened a tab. The amber liquid appeared in his hand, and he casually returned his attention to the woman in the corner booth. What caught his attention next was what she brought to her cherry red lips: an honest to God cigarette. Putting two and two together, Teselmar quickly turned back to the NPC, accessing the shop list. There, at the bottom, was a single pack of orange cigarettes left! He immediately snapped them up, and equipped them. But... "Wait, do you sell matches or flints?" The NPC shook his head. "All sold out." Well now he definitely had a reason to talk to the woman in the corner. Closing the menu and grabbing his drink, he turned and walked across the room. Some heads turned as folks realized where he was heading, and a few rubbernecked as he approached her. His grey-green eyes sought out her golden ones as he stopped, a few feet from where she sat. "Hey. Would you mind if I borrowed a light?"

Edited December 28, 2015 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

Orange honey eyes gazed at the stranger as she saw him looking at her. The hell was his problem? The woman didn't say anything or the fact that her expression was unchanged by the sudden change of his position as he managed to prod the NPC for something. The woman looked away, uninterested in whatever he was doing. But there was not much of anything else to look at or listen to except for the constant babble of the rookies in the room. When she adjusted herself in her booth, her eyes widened by the sudden realization that the man she had caught a glimpse of now had wandered over to her table. The woman looked up at him, her amber gaze now set at what he held in his hand.

"Those assholes stole my goddamn idea!" she said with a poisonous voice. Shaking her head, the tendrils of rich ebony sprawled out from her eyes before she flicked the bangs from her gaze at him, "If it's one thing...to steal my idea, it's another for a person to use it." she sighed to herself and nodded to him for him to enter her booth, "Mine work differently than your store bought items. I alchemized the one I am using, so they are prelit by default. I think you are [censored] out of luck though when it comes to getting that thing lit up. But..." the woman crossed a leg under the table, "I think you can score a light by sharing mine. Not sure if the system works out like that but its worth a try." With her cigarette dangling and then stiffening, she would wait for the man to place his own in between his lips before moving towards him, the two ends met as one as the embers were stoked as both were evenly lit as Opal let out a citrus plume over her head.

"I have to say, you are only the second player I have met here in the game that smokes. The other being my former Guild Master. I don't think I have seen you around before though...Are you just now getting your feet wet in this world?"   The woman couldn't say she wasn't happy...to be met with a mature adult it seems rather than the teenagers that came and went as they pleased before her. The woman sat back down in her seat wondering if the young man in front of her was old enough to smoke, or if he was trying to look cool in front of her. Other had tried that and failed miserably at their job, this one on the other hand, he seemed like he knew what he was doing. 

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar sat as she gestured at the seat across from her, catching the eye of a curious bystander who quickly looked away. Apparently, this woman was a big deal. He raised an eyebrow as she dripped venom about having her alchemical cigarettes ripped off. Apparently, somebody who'd knocked off her idea had sold them to the vendor, only they were useless without a proper source of flame. He nodded as she suggested sharing her light. "Thanks. Here's hoping." He stuck the thin stick between his lips, letting her draw close to press the tip of her cigarette against the tip of his in a smoldering kiss. The corner of his mouth pulled into a slight smile as smoke curled from the end, the game registering the items as similar enough for physics to take hold. 

"Let there be light." He raised his glass in salute, and his baritone voice preceded a plume of acrid orange smoke. The two shared a moment of appreciation for the smoker's calm, then she commented on his habit. "I used to smoke, out in the world. I quit a while back, but here..." Teselmar held the cigarette off to the side, almost forgotten as habitual smokers often do. "Well, here's a different story." She made inquiry about how he must be new around these parts. "You could say that I'm trying to get my feet wet now, so I don't drown later. I was never big into video games, but I have a love for all things new and exciting." He gestured around, as if referring to the world of SAO. "Curiosity, meet cat." He grinned wryly, appreciating the company of a fellow adult. "You've clearly taken well to it, judging by all the space these guys are giving you." He thumbed over his shoulder at a teenage boy who suddenly tripped over his own boots, caught staring at her. 

 

[Opal 0]

The woman brought up her bottle in his toast and tipped it in his general direction before taking a small swig of the contents, mostly empty now of the alcohol that had fueled her need for that particular cigarette. The woman hunched over, the long drape of cape hanging loosely over the curves of her shoulder and wrapping around gently as she listened to him speak about his opening move in this odd game of chess. Her honied eyes motioned at the sight of the group of players when he mentioned she was a 'big deal.' The woman laughed and shook her head, the atmosphere over their heads now developing like a citrus colored storm cloud hanging about them as they enjoyed their carcinogenic sticks. The woman leaned over on one arm, "Welcome to the game of death then. I hope you enjoy the thrilling aspect that you could die the moment you step out of the safe zone here. As for me being a big deal..." the woman looked over towards the isle of the teenage boy who had caught a glimpse of her had fallen abruptly, "Some people know me here, the colors I wear are noted to be the Knights of the Blood Guild, others...are just trying to get a glimpse of the boobs."

The woman had taken a long drag, the end of her cigarette burning lightly as she held it in for a moment before pursing her lips together and blowing out a steady stream, "Then again I am also a Front Liner as well. But there are players much more experienced than I am in this game. I barely scratch the surface with some of them around." The woman flicked the ashes with a thump of her thumb into the air, allowing them to flutter away into nothingness. 

"But I understand what you mean, I'm a chain smoker outside of this game and to go into such a game without having these around was killer. A friend of mine brought up the idea that I could look for certain plants that give the same feeling as a regular cigarette while adding a bit of taste to it as well and then alchemizing the ingredients. Low and behold, these little creations were made. Now it seems my idea is being ripped off by others." Opal had called forth for another beer with only a raised hand as the NPC quickly took note and dropped the item off at her table.

"It has taken me a fair bit of time to achieve the level of so called power I have in this game. But it was an intense two months to get this far and not to mention the horrible things that came with it. And before you ask; it is none of your business. I don't like people asking me questions about that. But you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. Let's just hope you don't end up losing it..." the woman exhaled once more and gave him a more narrowed look, she seemed to sigh a bit and lifted her hand activating the menu before her. With a few hand gestures, she swept across her inventory sending the player her player's profile with a Friend Request form.

"My name is Opal in this game...If you don't want to lose that head of yours, if you are interested in thrills, I can always take you out to meet Avalanche. Its a field boss on this floor, not difficult for me to handle. But I am willing to take you out to kill it, get some experience under your belt, that way you have better chances of surviving." The woman swept her hand across to finish the action and once more flicking darkened ashes off her cigarette before placing her hands back down towards the table and leaning back in her seat.     

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar took a drag on his cigarette, leaning back and letting her words wash over him, responding when appropriate. He made a point to keep his eyes on hers; not that her body wasn't incredible, but this wasn't his first rodeo. A woman as... gifted as she was could use her body as a weapon just as surely as a knife. Until he knew her better, he'd keep his mind in the moment, and out of the gutter. She spoke about the game of death, and he raised an eyebrow. "Hardly matters if I like it or not. This world suits me just fine, but there's a whole mess of people out there who aren't like me. They're gonna go crazy, or get themselves killed trying to be something they're not." He took another sip, narrowing his gaze. "That's part of why I want to... level up a bit, so that I help get these poor SOBs home."

She made a crack about boys wanting to catch a glimpse of her boobs, and Teselmar laughed out loud. Granted, he thought she was incredibly attractive, but he knew he was a pretty good looking guy too. The thought of these "high level players" who could go out and stomp a boss single-handedly, yet still hadn't ever been with a woman made him chuckle. She mentioned that the guild she was associated with was called Knights of the Blood. She must be a rather high-ranking member, to so prominently display her heraldry. As she mentioned being a front-liner, Teselmar gestured with his cigarette. "That sounds like good work. Also sounds like my kind of good time." The thought of people who dwarfed her in power made him grin in anticipation. "Guess I have some catching up to do. I plan to push myself as hard as possible." 

He listened to her as she described the two months it took her to get this far, and how she didn't want to talk about her hardships. He nodded in understanding. "Hey, message received. If you don't want to talk about something, that's totally your call. I have stuff I don't like to think about either, so nothing new there. Everybody's got problems, yeah?" He grinned as she told him not to lose his head. "I suppose I do need my head... I'll do my best to hang on to it."

She sent a Friend Request across his HUD, her name flashing before him as she said it. He accepted the request as she offered to take him out to the Avalanche. "Opal. Interesting what names people give themselves." His name flashed across her screen as he introduced himself. "You can call me Teselmar. And that sounds like a plan I can get behind." He drained the remainder of his drink, tapping off some of the ash from his cigarette as he did so. "Whenever you're ready, so am I."

 

[Ishida 0]

The knee-high snow crunched loudly underneath the footsteps of Ishida's cloth boots as he laboriously stalked up the side of a tall hill just outside of Snowfrost Town.  With the quaint, cheerily lit town at his back, the raven-haired teenager ascended to the top of the ridge and to a height that allowed him a full field of view of the fourth floor.  A gentle snowfall dominated the immediate area but it did little to impede his bird's-eye view of the winter wonderland and its many, dangerous inhabitants--namely that massive icicle monster so appropriately named «Avalanche».  It was quite apparent that he, in his current state of cloth armor, was greatly outclassed by the gargantuan elemental.  He would need to get a lot stronger if he wished to go head to head with that frozen beast--or find a party.

A chill ran down the length of his spine; the boy had been out in the elements for quite a while in such flimsy gear.  Deciding it was about time he head back to town, Ishida promptly turned around and made his way back down the hill, attempting to use the same foot holes he had made on his way up to make his trek less work.

After a short while, he was back within the town limits and out of the dangers of the wild, walking beneath the amber glow of the streetlamps illuminating the walkways.  Whether by his design or not, Ishida found himself entering the restaurant/tavern and heading to the closest hearth for a much needed warmup.  It was there, in between rubbing his hands together and holding them out before the fire, that he overheard two nearby adventurers talking about journeying to takeout Avalanche.  Now, usually, he wouldn't concern himself with the business of others but this particular topic seemed to align with his mutual goals.

Cautiously, the nineteen year old newbie approached the two and took position at the side of their booth.

"Hey..  I overheard the two of you talking about taking on Avalanche.  Do you think there's room in your party for another?  I'm rather inexperienced but--like you," he said, dark brown eyes focused on Teselmar, "I'm looking to get stronger.  Any chance I can get to watch a frontliner at work, I'm there."

[Opal 0]

"Not exactly a name that rolls off the tongue, huh?" Opal asked giving a mild shrug. She couldn't help feel as though someone was watching them however, and low and behold another player had joined in their small conversation before starting out. The player, also seemingly new, was interested in joining up with them on their party towards the Avalanche. Opal sighed and looked back to her new comrade and gave yet another shrug, "Alright. Well, if your interested I guess you can tag along. It makes little difference to me." 

Opal lifted her body from the booth and nodded towards the new player and sending both of them a Party Request form so they can officially tag up and get this quest done. Her eyes scanned the player, she wasn't sure if these two would be capable of combating the Avalanche as their current level and stats. She would have to bear through it and do most of the work. 

"My name is Opal and this is Teselmar. I suppose we should get started right away, but before we do that..." Opal swept her hand across her user interface and started to tap at the buttons quickly for both players, sending them each a little something.

Trading to Teselmar: x2 [+15 HP Recovery Potion], x1 +2 Dmg Potion
Trading to Other Player: x1 [+15 HP Recovery Potion], x1 +2 Dmg Potion

"I've sent over a HP recovery potion to the each of you as well as a Dmg potion. It will increase your base damage by 2 for a full day [one thread]. That should help somewhat in the future when you start doing combat yourselves. You won't need them for this Quest run though, you both will stay to the rear of me while I go off playing 'Hero.' With that all said and done..."

Opal extinguished her cigarette with a simple button as it was sent back to her inventory for later use. Looking at both the players, she gestured to them to follow her where she started to walk out the door. Her honey gaze shifted from the player's in the small tavern before heading out into the the snowborn city of Snowfrost. As she waited for the two players to join her, she swiped her menu once more and extended her hand out. A large, eight foot ornate saya appeared in her gripped hand as she hoisted the sheathed weapon to one shoulder and turned to face the players. 

"We'll be taking the short way there...You two as I stated earlier will stay in the back and not engage the enemy. If you do, I'll be convinced you wanna die and allow the Mob to eat you alive. I have no problem with that, but the point of this is to get the quick Skill Points and then get out of there for a quick level up. Other than that, I guess we are ready to go." 

Opal wasted no more time as she started to head towards the exit of the city and towards the border of the safe zone. Hopefully the two boys didn't feel cocky enough to go and let themselves die today. That would be a horrible waste. 

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar grinned, accepting the gift of potions she'd sent to them. This would come in handy in not dying, at least for a little while. "Much appreciated." He rumbled, turning and getting up to give her room. He greeted the other rookie with a nod as Opal introduced them, accepted the HUD alert to party up, and put his cigarette away into his inventory. As he did, he noticed that the tip went out before it was put up. Teselmar grunted in disappointment; seemed like he'd have to find Opal again any time he wanted to smoke. Well, I don't suppose that's such a horrible thing... He blinked as her sword materialized, an incredibly long, curved blade. He would've called it a katana, except for the immense length. It was more like a nodachi, he mused. "No worries, we'll let you have all the fun this time." He stretched as they walked towards the exit of the pub, straightening his cloth suit's neck tie. Maybe when he was a high enough level, he could return the favor and be of help to her in a dangerous fight. The thought of throwing himself at a challenge made him warm, even as the system told his brain that he should be cold. 

As they walked, Teselmar took a closer look at the newcomer. It seemed like he was just as much of a rookie as he was,  though there was honestly no way to tell for sure in this game. They were nearing the outskirts of town as he asked, "So Ishida, where are you from? If you don't mind my asking." The snow was starting to fall steadily as they walked, and he kept pointedly ignoring the little, superfluous feeling of being cold.

[Ishida 0]

Ishida was honestly surprised at how easily he was accepted into the party.  I mean, in a world where the slightest misstep could result in certain death, he figured that people would be more wary of who they accept into their ranks.  However, that didn't seem to be the case and for that, he was thankful.  It was only a matter of moments after his half-introduction that he was invited to the party and traded a couple of potions to help him along.  This woman--Opal, as her name was indicated in his party HUD--was exhibiting extreme generosity.

"Opal and Teselmar," he repeated after Opal to ingrain their names into his memory.  Afterward, he quickly bowed in greeting.  "I am Ishida."

Before he knew it, their party was formed and they were heading out of the tavern, en route to the conquest of taking down Avalanche.  Opal had gone over some ground rules of them staying out of the way while she handled the big bad--mostly for their own safety but surely she did not want them getting in the way of her work.  The familiar resistance of the snow underneath them slowed their footsteps as they drudged through the field, crunching and groaning in a trio of different patterns that sounded more chaotic than uniform.

So Ishida, where are you from?  If you don't mind my asking.

"Tokyo, Japan," he replied as his hand swiped against the cold air in front of him to open his inventory.

From his inventory, he went about equipping the only two real pieces of equipment he had to his name: Blackfang and The Wall of Night.  Instantly, a massive tower shield of an indiscernible black materialized upon his left arm and just beneath it, mostly concealed by the aforementioned Wall, a sheathed sword with a black leather-wrapped handle appeared.  While he didn't expect to see much, if any, combat--it didn't hurt to be prepared.

Ishida's eyes shifted back to focus on Teselmar.  "Yourself?"

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar watched as Ishida equipped his shield and sword. The tower shield looked like it could take quite a beating, and he supposed that he might want to get a light shield himself some day. He didn't know Ishida or Opal very well, but neither of them were Orange players, and he didn't have anything worth taking, so he figured that the chances of being team-killed were minimal. Plus, one usually doesn't give potions to people they're intending to kill.

"Tokyo, Japan. Yourself?"

Teselmar flicked snow from his golden locks as he wished for a good pair of ski goggles. "I'm from America, grew up just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. I was- well, I guess I still am in Japan, worked for a client in Tokyo recently. I'm renting a nice little pad in Ikebukuro... Although I don't think I'll make rent this month." He grinned at the dark humor, knowing that his body was probably in a hospital somewhere. Glancing ahead, he waited for Opal to either make a comment, or lead them onwards.

[Opal 0]

As they had begun to trek through the thick mounds of snow, Opal's ear picked up the mild conversation coming from behind her. She supposed it was only natural for people to wonder about the others in their party, but she kept her mouth shut on the current affairs of where they lived in this world. It was trivial information since they were stuck in a game right now, but a curious player might find it interesting to know where the players of the world of Aincrad were playing before this [censored] happened. Opal stopped and shifted her gaze towards a rather familiar spot as they had been walking for a little bit now. The Field Boss wasn't too difficult to find since she had done this quest a number of times now for fellow new comers. 

None the less she had to make sure everyone knew their roles in the party, "Alright. Avalanche will be appearing just over that snow ridge..." the woman allowed the long blade to slip out of its ornate saya as it dematerialized from her hand and into her inventory for safe keeping. Her eyes set on the two before her, "This thing could probably kill you both in a single attack. So I suggest, if you wish to watch, watch from a safe distance. If I have to stop doing what I am doing to save one of you because you feel like showing off a bit, it won't be the Avalanche cutting you down." The woman gave a somewhat serious tone to her demand that they keep a safe distance from her, it was important to know these facts. And she did it more so they would get the idea it was dangerous to go at it without the proper gear and levels. She did not know the either of them, but she felt responsible for their lives for agreeing to take them out for the quick Experience. Nodding and giving a small smile, the woman turned her back to them once more. Her right hand coming up and undoing the button from her billowing white and red caplet as it dematerialized off her shoulders, revealing a snow white with crimson outline of her light body armor with the intricate design of tattoo running down the length of her body and going further down towards her skirt. The cold...there was no coldness, no numbing air that could stop her now.

It was time to take on the Avalanche. 

OOC: I will be engaging on my next post. 

[Ishida 0]

Ikebukuro?  That's... quite a coincidence.  Ishida thought as he almost immediately stopped in his tracks when he heard Teselmar utter the name of his hometown.  Just what were the odds that two random people from the same spot on Earth would get stuck in a death game together?  The pure unbelievable nature of this admittance forced the teenager to take a harder look at the man.  Had he seen him before in the world beyond Sword Art Online?  Worse than that--had they crossed paths in a manner that would put them at odds against one another.

"Ikebukuro, huh?  I'm not too far from there.  It's a pretty busy place."

No, the man's face didn't seem familiar to him.  On top of that, he had given up the troublesome dangers of a hard life months ago.  It was extremely unlikely that they had met each other before--even if just as fleeting strangers walking the busy streets of Ikebukuro.

"I have no intention of dying today.  I'll stay right here and keep my distance while you put the beast down," he said as he positioned his shield protectively in front of his body, watching as Opal stripped away the digital clothing to reveal her fighting attire.  It was like watching a Sailor Scout henshin before his very eyes.  Ishida actually felt cold just looking at her in that outfit.  Brrr.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar stopped as they reached the area where the field boss would be waiting for them. He glanced over at Ishida again as he spoke. "Yeah, it's a big place. Been there long enough now that I've got a pretty decent grasp on the language. Conveniently, a lot of people understand English these days, so it's not too much of a hassle to get around." He looked the young man over as he listened to Opal speak. He didn't think they'd ever met before, but Teselmar wasn't surprised. Ikebukuro was a big place, it'd be easy to go a long time without bumping into the same people.

He stretched in the snow, observing the area ahead of them. "Right," he said to Opal, "We'll hang back. Have fun." This last comment was said with a chipper grin, as he watched her take her cloak off and admired the... scenery. 

[Opal 0]

Opal nodded her head at the two men as she made her way up the snowy ridge and confronted the monster as she held onto the Masamune with her right hand. The giant iceborne creature acknowledged her and his mighty fists beat against one another as he let out a deep roar across the land. Her white knuckles tightened on the grip of her katana as she locked eyes with it. And then with a flurry of movements, the woman penetrated the aggro zone and made her first attempt to strike. Both hand on the long hilt, the woman ducked by the first attack the Avalanche attempted on her and threw a powerful punch to knock her away from it. The woman was quick on her feet as she danced around the attack with nothing more than a simple straff. Snow moved from under her feet as it was kicked up from her movements. Her honied eyes gazed across the field to make sure they were safe from any other mobs and then focused her attention once more on The Avalanche. To call her gaze, it let out another horrible deep roar from its gritty ice chest and bellowd out with a shocking earthquake that looked like it would split the ground before her. With a slight tremble the woman regained her pose and positioned herself once more and remained on the defensive. 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Opals HP: 124/124
EN: 29/31
Sword Art:

Avalanche: 100
Dmg: 24

ID: 43764
BD: 1+3 = Miss
MD: 5-4 = Miss
OOC: Of course I would get a critical fail at the start...
 

Edited December 30, 2015 by Opal

[Opal 0]

Sweeping her blade to the left and right, she deflected the mighty blows of the pounding ice fists of The Avalanche. Her steel met with ice touched fists as they slammed into her thin yet elongated blade that could mow down several men at once. The sharp Katana cut across the midsection of the Ice Gaint as she cracked open its hard casing and crushed its defensive stance. With a stagger, the woman's blade had pulsated with a silver ivory glow as she held it with both hands. Bringing it back and then to the forefront with one strike, the engaged Sword Art <<Zekkai>> emerged as it cut through the creature with a deadly sharp attack. The giant iceborne creature flailed as a long orange scar was produced on its body by the Masamune weapon. Honied eyes shimmered as the corner of her lips tugged into a simple velvety red smile. Once more strike like that and the monster would be good as dead. She was confident that her next strike would land with her current equipment load out. 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Opals HP: 124/124 [+3 BD next roll]
EN: 23/31
Sword Art: Zekkai, 7 Energy, 63 Dmg

Avalanche: 37/100
Dmg: 24

ID: 43767
BD: 7+3 = Hit [Keen Activated]
MD: 6-4 = Miss
 

Edited December 30, 2015 by Opal

[Opal 0]

The blade frantic with power once more hungered for the beast as it attempted to recover from its staggered spot. Howling ice and wind wrapped around it for one more shot at the woman. A blizzard was summoned from the ground and hurled her upwards into the air, yet it had no damaging effect on her. Instead she brought her weapon to the front once more, hands on the hilt as she glared through the spiraling snowstorm in front of her. Her body reached out and forwards slamming her weapon into the beast as it gave off that same glow as earlier and decapitating it with a flurry of quick strikes. The creature went down without so much of a fuss as it was beheaded and shattered into digital oblivion. The snowstorm around her died and she took in a heavy breath from the cold air and slowly exhaled calming herself down.  She swung her blade to the right, whipping away any impure residue that may have contracted from the killing and purifying the blade. Shouldering the weapon the woman picked up a sack of col which she split amongst the two new players. 

"Hey there!" she called out with a small wave coming back to the safe area where they had stood, she dropped a sack in each of their hands to allow them to do with as they pleased, "And I believe since this was your quest, Teselmar, you get the special monster potion drop. I think we are pretty much done here. Not too bad to gain an easy Skill Point, well for me at least. I think you both get four all together." 

The woman flipped through her menu and sheathed her Katana and shouldered the weapon, "Time to head back, I guess."

<<Battle Engaged>>

Opals HP: 124/124 [+3 BD this roll]
EN: 24/31
Sword Art: Wa Shu, 5 Energy, 45 Dmg

Avalanche: Dead/100
Dmg: 24

ID: 43768
BD: 7+6 = Hit
MD: 1-4 = Miss
LD: 15 [500 Col] 250 for Tes, 250 for Ishida
Rewards: 1 Mat, 1 Snowfrost Potion [Teselmar]

Edited December 30, 2015 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar let out a low whistle as he surveyed the battle. The first strike that Opal had unleashed on the ice monster hadn't seemed to find its mark, but she looked to be doing a significant amount of damage to it now. He leaned back as the cold wind blew over them, and shot a glance at Ishida. "Whew, look at her go. Seems like this is gonna be over fairly quickly, eh?"

He mused to himself as he watched her work. Wonder what she's like, out in the world... from what Teselmar had seen, this reality tended to change people, to reveal the inner truth of what they were when the boundaries of society were stripped away.

As she finished up with the monster, Teselmar felt like he'd learned quite a bit about how combat worked in SAO. Not just how dangerous monsters could be, but how dangerous the players could be as well. He opened up his menu, accepting the following:
 

250 Col

1x Ice Essence (Mat)

1x Snowfrost Potion

4x SP

He nodded as he put the items into his inventory, and the <<Quest Complete!>> marker appeared on his HUD. Seemed like he may have leveled up as well. He turned towards town. "It was fun to watch you work. You can definitely handle a blade." He said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a rogueish grin. 

Edited December 30, 2015 by Teselmar

[Ishida 0]

After the initial fault of her opening attack, Opal went to task and systematically dismantled the behemoth known as Avalanche.  She made it look so easy with how effortless her actions were.  Before he even realized the battle had started, it was over and the woman in white was heading back in their direction.

"I hope you learned more from that than I did," he said to Teselmar.

Once Opal closed the distance separating the trio, Ishida once again issued a quick bow.  A loot menu appeared before him listing off the various experience and col he acquired from the defeat of the field boss--all of which he eagerly accepted.

"You took that beast apart in just a few hits!  That was incredible!" To say he was a little envious of her strength would be an understatement.  If that kind of power was what awaited him as he progressed, he was more than just a little excited to get going.

"Thanks for all of this.  This experience will go a long way towards getting stronger."

Ishida turned on his heels and followed after his two party members as they made their way back to town.